When did Panasonic take over the Eneloop brand? I have many AA's that were manufactured by Sanyo/Eneloop that are still performing as good as new. I've been using them in my R09hr for years. I just recently put three of them to work in a Tascam DR40 using Phantom power 48 with DPA4099s. They held up for about 2 hours of recording & one hour of playback on my ride home.

Eneloop Pro offers a bit more capacity and current capability at the expense of a reduced recharge cycle count. If that is appropriate or not depends on your application. You'd probably need to replace them every 3 years or so anyway, so the reduced cycle count of the Pro's may not be a factor. But for a low power draw M10 the standard white Eneloops are entirely sufficient and appropriate.

I just replaced a bunch of my old Maha Imedion NiMH LSD AA's with 8 new Maha Powerex precharged NiMH AA's (same NiMH LSD line, new name, slightly higher 2600mAhr capacity). The first four went into the Maha charger just this morning set to break-in mode, which takes about 3 days. I'll then know the true capacity of each cell and can us that data to match these up into pairs for best longevity and performance. I've been very pleased with all of my Maha LSD NiMH batteries over the years and also use Powerex precharged 9.6V LSD NiMH in my 9V preamps.

Once the break-in of these new cells is complete I'll report back with the as measured real-world capacity.

I LOVE my Maha Powerex MHC-9000 WizardOne AA/AAA Charger, and it has DEFINITELY extended the life of my NIMH AA's/AAA's to around 5 years or so now My MHC-9000 is well over a decade old by now and has been 100% completely reliable and rock solid, and I don't see why it won't last another 10+ years I highly recommend spending the $50 if you want a really nice and HQ charger that you'll probably only need to buy once!!!

The Maha Powerex MHC-9000 is a very good charger. It's what I use. However, although I haven't used it I'd recommend people check out the Lacrosse BC700, which is about the same cost as the Maha (or BC1000, which just ups the MAX charge current but costs more. The BC700 is otherwise identical and entirely sufficient), as it seems a bit simpler to navigate through the functions with less button pushing yet otherwise seems equivalent to the Maha.

Break in mode has now been completed for the first four of eight Maha Powerex Precharged AA's I recently received. As mentioned these are marked as having 2600mAh nominal capacity. Results are:

Battery 1 = 2562 Battery 2 = 2552Battery 3 = 2561Battery 3 = 2537

These are true capacity numbers based on discharge monitoring phase of the break-in mode. I'll do the same for the next four, then for best performance and longevity I'll use those results to match the batch of eight into pairs based on closest similar capacities.

The Maha Powerex MHC-9000 is a very good charger. It's what I use. However, although I haven't used it I'd recommend people check out the Lacrosse BC700, which is about the same cost as the Maha (or BC1000, which just ups the MAX charge current but costs more. The BC700 is otherwise identical and entirely sufficient), as it seems a bit simpler to navigate through the functions with less button pushing yet otherwise seems equivalent to the Maha.

Break in mode has now been completed for the first four of eight Maha Powerex Precharged AA's I recently received. As mentioned these are marked as having 2600mAh nominal capacity. Results are:

Battery 1 = 2562 Battery 2 = 2552Battery 3 = 2561Battery 3 = 2537

These are true capacity numbers based on discharge monitoring phase of the break-in mode. I'll do the same for the next four, then for best performance and longevity I'll use those results to match the batch of eight into pairs based on closest similar capacities.

That "Break-In" mode is what makes my batteries last so long! I do that to ALL of my brand new AA/AAA's. I also do that to ALL of my AA's/AAA's about ONCE a year, just to keep them in the best shape possible! I LOVE knowing EXACTLY how much juice is in each battery! Well, the MHC-9000 does just that!

"Break-In" your batteries when you buy them new, as well as about ONCE a year to keep them fresh, and your AA/AAA NIMH's will last 5+ years too I also do the "Refresh & Analyze" every 6 months or so to keep them in the best shape!

The MHC-9000 is worth EVERY penny IMO! It gives me TOTAL peace of mind, as I know EXACTLY how much juice is in each battery! The MHC-9000 also identifies any BAD batteries very quickly, and lets you know when it's time to THROW AWAY/RECYCLE that particular battery!

One drawback about Break-In Mode is that it takes about 3 days to complete. That's because it goes through multiple charge / discharge cycles, measuring capacity upon each discharge. The extra cycles help form the batteries to fully maximize their capacity, a process which otherwise happens naturally over the first several use cycles. Doing it this way maximizes them from the start, does so in an optimal way, and measures the true capacity upon completion.

Refresh & Analyze does basically the same thing with less cycles, so it reaches completion much quicker, and is appropriate for occasional on-going maintenance. It also reports the true measured capacity. As long as the batteries remain in regular use you shouldn't need to use Break-In Mode for occasional on-going maintenance, but if they have been sitting for many months unused or have otherwise become suspect, it's the most appropriate choice.

Discharge Mode also reports true capacity, but will not charge the battery first (making it not particularly useful to me). The other charge modes display charger output mAh upon completion - basically the amount of juice the battery took to charge, which dos not reflect the total capacity of the battery. Total capacity can only be determined via a measured discharge cycle.